By Ghana News,Kingsley Asiedu
Copyright ghananewss
The Ngleshie Laafa Barima community recently celebrated its 2025 Homowo festival, a time of tradition and renewal. However, the festivities were shadowed by ongoing chieftaincy disputes, with Nii Ayi Okufobour I, Ngleshie Laafa Berima Nmarko Mantse, expressing deep concern over the numerous injunctions and false claims threatening the community’s heritage.
In a press interview, Nii Ayi Okufobour I voiced his dismay over what he described as a “worrying trend of non-indigenes” attempting to interfere with GaDangme traditions. He noted that many of the petitions filed to halt the Homowo celebrations came from individuals with no genuine lineage to GaDangme royalty. He called on the Ghana Police Service to investigate the heritage of those who parade themselves as traditional leaders, especially those using land guards to cause trouble.
A Call for Purity and Tradition
Nii Ayi Okufobour I lamented that the very fabric of GaDangme royalty is being compromised by a few selfish individuals. He pointed out that some GaDangme indigenes conspire with foreigners to undermine their own people, often for financial gain. “The reason for the multiple claimants to the chieftaincy position of the Ngleshie Alata Stool is because of selfishness, thievery, lies, and mismanagement of funds,” he stated.
He recalled a personal encounter with a claimant who sought his support, only to be turned away because they could not prove their royal lineage. The chief stressed that the performance of rituals and traditions is an exclusive right of the indigenous people and must not be commercialized or co-opted by outsiders. He added that the practice of giving indigenous GaDangme names to foreigners who then use them to claim chieftaincy titles is a significant problem.
Homowo Celebrations and A Divine Sign
Despite the tensions, the Homowo celebrations proceeded, albeit with a heavy police presence that Nii Ayi Okufobour I found disheartening. He questioned why the community was prohibited from using traditional guns like pump-action shotguns during the festival when other communities across the country are seen using sophisticated weapons like AK-47s in plain sight.
The chief also shared a significant detail about the festival: the route for the sprinkling of kpoikpoi (a traditional festival food) was changed based on instructions from the gods. He said his obedience to this directive was met with rainfall, which he interpreted as a divine sign of acceptance and blessings for the community.
Nii Ayi Okufobour I concluded by expressing his gratitude to all who attended, especially the traditional leaders from near and far, for gracing the occasion and showing their solidarity.
By Kingsley Asiedu
